Dog owners are told to watch out for six key symptoms this week as temperatures surged. Parts of Britain have seen scorching temperatures over the past couple of days in a welcome blast of spring heat, with the mercury rising as high as 26.6C in London's Kew Gardens.
But when heat dial cranks up it can have a big affect on the amount of pollen in the air. According to the British Allergy Clinic, warmer weather "generally leads to higher pollen counts, particularly in spring and summer months when trees, grasses, and flowers release large quantities of pollen" triggering symptoms in people with hayfever. Thursday is expected to see rain followed by cooler and showery weather continuing to move southeastwards across the UK, remaining dry and warm across the southeast until later on, The Met Office says.
Meanwhile, the outlook for Friday to Sunday suggests conditions will be unsettled "throughout Friday and the weekend, with further bands of rain and showers".
"Some drier and brighter interludes developing in-between with temperatures near or occasionally a little below average," the national weather agency adds.
But the pollen spreading impact of hot days like we've seen on Tuesday and Wednesday can last for days. The Met Office issued high and very high pollen count alerts across most of the UK for today.
High and Very High alerts are also be in place across England through to Sunday.
And while hayfever sufferers may be all too aware of the uptick in pollen in the air, the Met Office also calls on dog owners to be aware of how it could affect their pets.
Though the cause of the allergies is the same in pooches, the signs can be different. The symptoms of hayfever in humans include a runny nose, manifests itself in humans, watery eyes and feeling short of breath, but it's much rarer for pets to exhibit them - even if they are suffering from the allergic reaction, the Met Office said.
The Government agency spoke to PDSA Vet Olivia Anderson-Nathan for some expert advice for dog owners, and flagged six signs your dog may be allergic to pollen.
These include:
She said owners who notice their pets showing any of these signs, particularly during summer, should take them to the vet.
The expert said some of these symptons can also be signs of other health issues, so your vet may want to rule these out any other potential problems before treating your pet for allergies.
She explained that even if an allergy is diagnosed, vets don't always know what the cause is.
But if the allergic reaction is seasonal (i.e. worse in summer and better in winter) it usually means it's at least partly due to pollen.
Olivia offered various tips on how to mitigate the impact of high pollen counts including avoiding walks in certain areas, and washing and grooming tips to limit it. You can find out more on the Met Office website.
